Talk with Me!

Having conversations with young children contributes to their thinking and language development. All conversations are good, but research shows that the quality of words children hear matters more than the quantity. Further, what’s best is an exchange; in other words, talk with children, not at them.

The Talk with Me Toolkits give parents and caregivers thematically organized high-quality, authentic materials to make children their conversational partners in discussions that matter. Each online toolkit features captivating videos and real-world photographs, as well as intriguing paintings and other artworks to observe and discuss through conversation prompts.  Hands-on activities and books complete each toolkit. Simple instructions appear right in the toolkits, so you can jump right in. See what interests your child and get started. There’s a lot to talk about!

This collection explores Music. All children, including young children, have musical potential! For more information, check out the National Association for Music Education and their statement on music in early childhood here:  https://nafme.org/about/position-statements/early-childhood-music-education/.

This series of four Smithsonian Learning Lab collections is funded as part of the Smithsonian Year of Music. #SmithsonianMusic